Matthew Berry is the host of ESPN’s Emmy Award–winning show Fantasy Football Now. His first book, the current best-seller Fantasy Life, profiles several hard-core devotees of fantasy sports.
Moneyball by Michael Lewis (Norton, $16). With sports, you’ve got to look at statistics all the time. But what’s so brilliant about Moneyball is the way Michael Lewis tells the stories behind the stats. It’s not a numbers book; it’s a book about the people who use those numbers. It resonated with me in a big way.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Live From New York by Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller (Back Bay, $17). This 2002 book about Saturday Night Live is told from several perspectives: the writers’, the producers’, the performers’. I can’t imagine the work that went into weaving all of these stories together to make a cohesive history of the show. You won’t find a book that’s more fun to read.
The Princess Bride by William Goldman (Harcourt, $9). My all-time favorite book has something for everyone: romance, action, danger, revenge, justice, comedy. Goldman’s novel transports you to a completely different world, but you totally buy in because he’s exploring such universal themes.
The Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben. Anything Harlan Coben writes is a must-read for me, but I especially love his Myron Bolitar series. Myron’s a sports agent, so the world of sports takes center stage. An underlying theme in all of Coben’s books, however, is the lengths to which people will go to protect their families.
The Complete Adventures of Curious George by Margret and H.A. Rey (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $30). As a kid, I loved the Curious George books. And to this day I’m still fascinated by them. No joke, my office is covered in Curious George memorabilia. My parents used to call me Curious George because I was always asking so many questions, a trait that served me well as I was writing my own book.
-
Frauds: ‘fantastically stylish’ crime heist caper is a ‘triumph’The Week Recommends Suranne Jones and Jodie Whittaker play a pair of ex-cons planning one last job
-
The struggles of Aston MartinIn the Spotlight The car manufacturer, famous for its association with the James Bond franchise, is ‘running out of road’
-
The end of ‘golden ticket’ asylum rightsThe Explainer Refugees lose automatic right to bring family over and must ‘earn’ indefinite right to remain
-
Marisa Silver’s 6 favorite books that capture a lifetimeFeature The author recommends works by John Williams, Ian McEwan, and more
-
Lou Berney’s 6 favorite books with powerful storytellingFeature The award-winning author recommends works by Dorothy B. Hughes, James McBride, and more
-
Elizabeth Gilbert’s favorite books about women overcoming difficultiesFeature The author recommends works by Tove Jansson, Lauren Groff, and more
-
Fannie Flagg’s 6 favorite books that sparked her imaginationFeature The author recommends works by Johanna Spyri, John Steinbeck, and more
-
Jessica Francis Kane's 6 favorite books that prove less is moreFeature The author recommends works by Penelope Fitzgerald, Marie-Helene Bertino, and more
-
Keith McNally's 6 favorite books that have ambitious charactersFeature The London-born restaurateur recommends works by Leo Tolstoy, John le Carré, and more
-
Garrett Graff's 6 favorite books that shine new light on World War IIFeature The author recommends works by James D. Hornfischer, Craig L. Symonds, and more
-
Helen Schulman's 6 favorite collections of short storiesFeature The award-winning author recommends works by Raymond Carver, James Baldwin, and more
